Before we get started at looking at the best way to get the best deal on toilet paper, we need to start out by asking a question. “What can I live with, and what can I live without?” My hubby hates the commercial where two bears are always showing their bums, and I have to laugh, because I think most people DO have a preference when it comes to toilet paper. Therefore, you have to make a decision about your preferred texture for toilet paper.
If you have an anything goes attitude, you will probably get the best deal! For those who are brand specific buyers, then we need to look at maximizing the deal price on your specific brand. Another factor to consider is what can your toilet handle? If you have a clog every week, then you may want to consider switching to a less fluffy brand. Because costs, texture, and sizes of rolls vary, we are going to look at how to determine a “deal” for toilet paper.
Determine the price for square footage. The amount of square footage in a pack is located at the front bottom corner or most packages. (As shown in the photos below).
The first package had 16 rolls and 334 sq. feet.
The second package had 12 rolls and 284.6 square feet
Now, to figure out if you getting a good deal! Move the decimal point two places to the left. If I pay around $3.34 on the first package, that’s a good deal! If I pay $2.84 for the second package, that’s a good deal!
My “best price” for toilet paper is $0.01 per square foot, and this is just an easier way to figure out the price for $0.01 per square foot! Remember to use coupons in combination with store sale prices to get as close to this price as possible. If you can get close to these prices with deals and coupons, you are getting a GOOD deal!
Girls in White Dresses (blogger) actually did a square footage comparison in the store you may find helpful also! She researched seven different brands and found the following square footage prices:
Final Costs per square foot, cheapest to most expensive:
1. Scott .006
2. White Cloud .012
3. Angel Soft .013
4. Cottonelle with Aloe and A&E .019
5. Charmin Ultra Strong and Northern Ultra Plus (tie) .024
6. Charmin Ultra Soft .026
7. Cottonelle Ultra .028
HOWEVER, remember that NOT all papers are created equal, AND some of these are one-ply versus two-ply!
Here is a handy list of square footage for various TP rolls taken from (http://www.afullcup.com/forums/cry-help-done/457699-toilet-paper.html)
Angel Soft 4 reg rolls 2 ply 66.6 sq. ft
Angel Soft 12 ct double roll 400 sq. ft
Angel Soft- 24 rolls (2 ply) 400 sq ft
Angel Soft, 36 double rolls contained 1200 sq. ft
Charmin Ultra (red pkg)- 9 rolls 140.9 sq ft
Charmin Basic- 4 double rolls 146.1 sq ft
Charmin Basic- 16 double rolls 584.5 sq ft
Charmin Ultra Soft, 18 double rolls, contained 375 sq. feet
Charmin Ultra Strong, 24 double rolls, contained 501 sq. feet
Cottonelle Ultra, 12 double rolls, contained 246 sq. ft
Cottonelle- 12 big rolls 279.6 sq ft
Cottonelle Aloe A&E, 12 double rolls, contained 363 sq. ft
Kirkland (costco) 36 rolls 1911.6 sq feet
Northern Ultra Plush, 24 double rolls contained 533 sq. ft
Quilted Northern- 12 double rolls 396 sq ft
Scott 12 rolls 1 ply 1000 sheets per roll: 1257 sq. ft
Scott- Extra Soft, 12 big rolls 363.3 sq ft
Scott 24 rolls contained 2515 sq. ft
Ultra Plush, 24 double rolls contained 533 sq. ft
White Cloud 24 double rolls contained 862 sq. ft
Willow 12 double rolls 2 ply: 400 sq. feet
Please feel free to add any comments about how YOU find the best deal for TP!
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Thank you!! It seems like toilet paper (and paper towels too) are always the hardest things to actually feel like I’m getting a really good deal with my coupons. This will help immensely!!
Is there something like this when purchasing kitchen towel?
I have always been a big fan of Scott 1000. Whenever it goes on sale I usually buy a couple of 12 packs. Thanks for the comparison chart!
Thank you so much for sharing. I’ve always wondered what was a good price for tp. This was very interesting and helpful.
Of course what I grew up using and what we all referred to wood chips in our house is the cheapest! lol When I moved out, I found out that we like charmin ultra soft in the mega roll…I have not done the math to see if we are saving with the mega rolls vs the original size because it seems to last longer per roll. Do you think that the mega rolls last longer and are worth the price vs the original?